PRO FOOTBALL

PRO FOOTBALL; Jets Sign Casillas, Plus His Baggage

By GERALD ESKENAZI,

Published: September 20, 1994

HEMPSTEAD, L.I., Sept. 19—
Tony Casillas, a veteran defensive lineman who has been at the center of more turmoil this year off the field than on it, finally agreed to play for the Jets today. He promptly dubbed them a Super Bowl contender.

The signing of the Super Bowl veteran late this afternoon couldn't have come at a better time for the Jets, whose general manager, Dick Steinberg, was elated.

Their weakened defensive line was shredded by the Dolphins on Sunday, when two key players also were seriously injured. Casillas will see some action next Sunday night when the Jets play the Bears at Giants Stadium.

"We're extremely happy and proud," said Steinberg, who sat next to Casillas and Coach Pete Carroll in making the announcement. "We know this will immediately upgrade our defensive unit."

It also will immediately upgrade their payroll, which is only about $100,000 under the salary cap. Casillas is believed to have signed for about $550,000 for the remainder of the year. So the Jets will cut someone on Tuesday to make room on the roster and will probably also try to restructure the salaries of some players to fit under the cap.

Carroll said he had "big plans" for Casillas as an "eagle" tackle in the Jets' four-man front. In their alignment, the Jets put one tackle over the center while the other tackle -- the eagle -- is more or less free to improvise.

Although Casillas, a specialist at stopping the run, was never used much as a pass-rusher in his five years with the Falcons and three with the Cowboys, Carroll said he would tailor the eagle tackle's position to Casillas's style. It could include asking him to rush the quarterback.

His presence will most likely upgrade the line, which was overwhelmed by the Dolphins' rushers, who generated 155 yards on 36 carries. He is expected to replace Paul Frase.

Casillas, 30, spent the last two seasons helping Dallas win Super Bowls. He reaped the rewards of free agency this off season by signing a four-year, $6 million deal with the Chiefs, including a $1.2 million pro-rated signing bonus.

But then things went haywire in Kansas City in a series of events that reached the commissioner's office amid suspicions that the Cowboys tampered with him.

The dispute began during the Chiefs' mini-camp when Casillas practiced only sporadically. He became the object of sarcasm among the Chiefs. In stretching exercises, the players sang "Where is Tony?" to the tune of "Frere Jacques."

Then, on the eve of training camp, he told Coach Marty Schottenheimer that he had an illness that prevented him from playing regularly. He apologized to Schottenheimer for not telling him about it earlier.

Casillas today sidestepped talk of that illness -- which reportedly was high blood pressure -- claiming "it was dealt with medically."

At the time, the Chiefs' medical staff cleared him to play, saying the condition was treatable. He then saw his own doctors. Two of them wrote Commissioner Paul Tagliabue that he was indeed unfit medically.

The exact circumstances of his leaving the Chiefs are unclear. He told them he couldn't play. They refused to pay him, waiting for him to get healthy, because he was taking up a huge chunk of their allotted salary total under the cap.

They released him in August, and Casillas returned his bonus. But the Chiefs' general manager, Carl Peterson, also asked the league to investigate whether there was anything improper in what had happened. He described Casillas's actions as a "dangerous precedent."

As part of Casillas's release from the Chiefs, he agreed that he would not sign this year with any of the other American Conference West division rivals or the Cowboys. The Cowboys' new coach, Barry Switzer, coached Casillas at Oklahoma, where he was considered the top defensive lineman in the country. Switzer was named Cowboys' coach days before Casillas signed with Kansas City.

The commissioner's office said today his review of the situation was continuing but would not affect the Jets' signing.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 278-pounder was drafted by Atlanta, which made him the second player selected in the 1986 draft (behind Bo Jackson).

Casillas starred at nose tackle for the Falcons and was traded to the Cowboys following a salary dispute. In three seasons at Dallas, he played tackle in a four-man front, but often came out in third-and-long passing situations.